Moraine Elementary School students, from left, Jack Shofner, La'Brasha Foster, Molly Smochek and Timmy McCreary were recently recognized for acts of kindness as part of the school's “be a buddy, not a bully” campaign.

PROSPECT — Moraine Elementary School students this year are being commended for acts of kindness and demonstrating good character.

The school’s anti-bullying program has a motto of “be a buddy, not a bully,” said music teacher Rebecca Sopher, who is running the program.

Instructors are teaching the meaning of a new character trait each month. September’s trait was responsibility and October’s is respect.

Students who demonstrate behavior in keeping with that attribute are awarded with a sticker that has their name on it to be placed on a “Rocket Launch Pad” bulletin board in the hallway.

The students have responded well to the idea so far with the recognition being a point of pride for some, Sopher said.

“I’ve seen the younger classes stop and look because they’ve got their name on there,” she said about the bulletin board.

Stickers will continue to be added to the board throughout the year, but the ones already there will stay, too.

“It’s good to do something where everyone continues to be recognized,” she said.

In an assembly Friday, several students who had earned stickers said it was for helping out younger students.

The stickers aren’t just given out by the homeroom teachers. They can be given out by any teacher and they can be for an act of kindness anywhere in the school, principal Kristie Shulsky said.

Also as a part of the program, some of the fourth and fifth grade classes are paired up with first and second grade classes as “buddy classes.”

They will get together once a month to do an educational activity together. Normally the younger and older students wouldn’t necessarily mix and get to know one another.

“It teaches the older students to set the example,” Shulsky said.